Tackling the global chemical waste problem

For someone who sees a lot of destruction, desecration, and rubbish, Bryan Brooks has a lot of hope for the waste sector. Dr Bryan Brooks is an internationally recognised toxicologist, who will jumping on a plane tomorrow to head to New Zealand where he will be the keynote speaker at a major toxicology and chemistry summit, being held in Wellington. His work investigates practical solutions to the global pollution problem - in particular the concentration of chemicals used for everything from farming and healthcare, to mining and manufacturing, and the chemical waste that comes from it. He is one of the scientists working with the newly established UN Science Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution, which was launched in June. The UN Environment Programme has described the poor management of chemicals and their waste a "planetary crisis" which contributes to approximately nine million premature deaths annually and causes trillions of dollars in economic losses. But Bryan Brooks says there are so many solutions available, and plenty of low-hanging fruit to be picked.